Michel Wortmann
United Kingdom/Germany

UNEP RONA has given me the chance to experience the work of UNEP in the summer of 2010 before completing my degree in Geography (BSc.) at University College London (UCL) in London, UK. I have developed a keen interest in environmental geography at university exploring the technical applications of the field to environmental monitoring, management and policy-making. In my final year dissertation, I will analyse satellite imagery of a vulnerable and heavily managed ecosystem in Kenya (Lake Naivasha) which UNEP has flagged in its Atlas of Our Changing Environment.

My internship at UNEP RONA has allowed me to combine my research interests with high-level environmental monitoring and advocacy, which I hope to become the focus of my future career. During my time in Washington, DC, I worked closely with the Regional Co-ordinator for North America of UNEP’s Division of Early Warning and Assessment. I had the chance to assist with the co-ordination of several working groups for UNEP’s flagship report Global Environment Outlook-5 and helped organise two of the regional conferences for the report’s creation process — one in Ottawa, Canada and one in Washington, DC. As the Environmental Research Intern, I conducted small research pieces, reviewed and contributed to future UNEP publications in partnership with UNEP’s collaborating office at the US Geological Survey’s Earth Resources Observation and Science Center. This variety of assignments and responsibilities were challenging and enjoyable at once, giving me a close insight into the intricate workings of an intergovernmental organisation.